Jalapeño Lemon Spice Chili Seeds

Information: Named after the town of Jalapa (Veracruz) in Mexico, the Jalapeno chili is one of the best-known and most-loved chilies in Mexico and the United States. This extraordinary, bright yellow Jalapeno is a breed of the Chile Pepper Institute of the New Mexican University. It produces beautiful, approx. 8 cm long chillies, which develop quite a heat for a Jalapeno. The plants grow compactly between 50 and 70 cm high and remain rather compact also in the crown. Jalapeños are one of the few types of chili that also taste good in their green, unripe state. As they ripen to yellow, their flavour becomes pleasantly sweet. The fruits sometimes have a cracked, cork-like surface, which Mexicans believe to be a sign of good quality. Whilst they are still green, jalapeños sometimes tend to display dark spots, however these disappear again as they are ripe (so please do not think that this is a sign of disease or decay).

Care: Germination temperature is between 22°C and 28°C (germination period: 6-20 days); it is therefore recommended to use a greenhouse and a heating mat. The plants need fresh, well-fertilised permeable soil and should not be left in standing water. They should be placed in a sunny, sheltered place with at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, if not more. Place the plants outside around 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost. When you plant the seedlings outdoors, take care to leave at least 45cm of space between each plant. After around 55 days, green fruits can be harvested, ripe jalapeños are first ready for harvest after approximately 70-80 days. The jalapeño plants produce a very high yield; single plants bear around 30 fruits, with good care, this can become considerably more.

You can find plenty of useful tips for successfully growing chili plants in our Chili Growing Guide and in the Chili Journal.